“If anyone kills one person, it would be as if he killed humanity. And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved humanity.”

Surah Al-Ma’eda, Verse 32

TOLERANCE & CO-EXISTENCE

“Oh you non-believers (those that reject faith), I worship not that which you worshiap. Nor will you worship that which I worship. And I will not worship that which you have been wont to worship. Nor will you worship that which I worship. To you be your way, and to me mine.”

Surah Al-Kafiroon

The Quaid-i-Azam’s Vision

All Pakistanis are Equal:

“Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic State – to be ruled by priests with a divine mission. We have many non-Muslims – Hindus, Christians, and Parsis – but they are all Pakistanis. They will enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other citizens and will play their rightful part in the affairs of Pakistan.”

Broadcast to the people of USA,

February, 1948.

Protect journalists:

“I say, protect the innocent, protect those journalists who are doing their duty and who are serving both the public and the Government by criticizing the Government freely, independently, honestly which is an education for any Government.”

Speech on the condition of the Press in India in the Imperial Legislative Council, 19 September, 1918

Freedom of speech and expression:

“I want you to keep your heads up as citizens of a free and impendent sovereign State. Praise your Government when it deserves. Criticize your Government fearlessly when it deserves, but do not go on all the time attacking, indulging in destructive criticism, taking delight in running down the Ministry or the officials.”

Reply to welcome address, Edwardes College, Peshawar,

18 April 1948.

Role of Business:

“Traders and merchants as true Pakistanis will help to reconstruct and build Pakistan to reach a mighty and glorious status amongst the comity of nations of the world….”

Address, Karachi Chamber of Commerce,

27 April, 1948.

Foreign Policy of Peace:

“We do not cherish aggressive designs against any country or nation. We believe in the principle of honesty and fair-play in national and international dealings and are prepared to make our utmost contribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the nations of the world.”

Quaid-i-Azam Broadcast,

February, 1948.

INTRODUCTION

“The Muslim League has won and established Pakistan and it is the Muslim League whose duty it is now, as Custodian of the sacred trust, to construct Pakistan.”

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Our vision is shaped by Pakistan and Pakistan alone, and the interests of Pakistan and its people always come first. Pakistan is paramount for us all, as the country created by the Muslim League under the great leadership of the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. As inheritors of this legacy of the freedom struggle, we have to promote the vision of our founding fathers, Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

Promoting pride in Pakistan, projecting history of its Freedom Movement and respect for its Founding Fathers is the corner stone of our vision.

We stand for upholding Islamic & moral values

• Live and let live.

• Decency, tolerance and harmony.

• Ensuring justice and freedom of expression.

• Family values.

• Dignity of the common citizen.

• Protection and promotion of the rights of the female population and providing freedom from fear and oppression.

• Opposing hypocrisy and double standards.

• Protection of the rights of minorities.

• Promoting human rights and respect for the rule of law.

• Stating ‘Kalima-e-Haq’ (Truth).

PML Vision

• DEMOCRACY

• DEVELOPMENT

• DEVOLUTION

• DIVERSITY

• DEFENCE

I. DEMOCRACY

“I am sure that democracy is in our blood. It is in our marrows. Only centuries of adverse circumstances have made the circulation of the blood cold. But the blood is circulating again, thanks to the Muslim League’s efforts.”

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

April 24, 1943

I. DEMOCRACY

• Pakistan itself is a product of the democratic process under the leadership of Muslim League led by the Quaid-i-Azam. Democracy, therefore, is central to our belief. We are convinced that the right to vote, without fear or favour, is sacrosanct and there should not be any infringement of this fundamental right.

• Apart from supporting parliamentary democracy and fair and free elections under a strong and independent Election Commission, the Pakistan Muslim League also believes in promoting a democratic political culture within the country and within the Party.

• We strongly believe in inner party democracy, where all Party members have the right of dissent and difference of opinion. It is in this context that the PML office bearers are elected according to the Party Constitution and there are regular meetings of the Party leadership, including the Central Executive Committee, the Policy Planning Group and the Central Working Committee.

• The PML also feels that the President and the Secretary General should not hold more than two successive terms of their respective elected offices, and both have voluntarily announced their decision to step down upon expiry of their term.

• The PML feels that the government and the opposition are two wheels of the chariot of democracy.

• The role of opposition is as important as that of government in strengthening democracy. The PML regards the opposition as a key stakeholder in the democratic process and supports an institutionalized role for the opposition.

• The opposition should be consulted in all major decision making and given key committees of Parliament, including chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee.

• FATA badly needs a healing touch so that through democracy and development, the area can be secured against terrorism and extremism. The PML believes that political parties can be a major factor of unity, peace and stability in FATA. A party-based democratic political process in FATA would be the biggest antidote to terrorism and extremism.

• The PML, in keeping with its track record, will promote a Culture of Conciliation and reject the Culture of Revenge, which is one of the main causes of our recurring political stability.

II. DEVELOPMENT

“Now I want to make this State of Pakistan happy and prosperous and we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, specially the masses and the poor.”

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

August 11, 1947

II. DEVELOPMENT

• The economic and social development of Pakistan is the backbone of our nation. In the last several years, Pakistan’s economy has had very positive indicators:

£ Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which was $ 63 billion in 1999, has now reached $ 162 billion, growing at an average of 7% over the last four years.

£ Per capita income has increased to $ 925 from $ 435.

£ Revenue collection, which was at around Rs.300 billion in 1999, crossed a record Rs.1 trillion, creating more fiscal space for development expenditures.

£ Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which hovered around Rs.80 billion during the 1988-99 period, reached Rs.520 billion this year.

£ Foreign direct investment (FDI), which was around $ 300 million in 1999, now has peaked to $ 6.5 billion.

• Agriculture is the base of our economy and the PML will take all appropriate steps to increase agricultural production to develop food self-sufficiency and to promote high value crops for export.

• Education, PML’s number one priority, is central to building a modern developed society and the Pakistan Muslim League will seek to ensure free and universal primary education.

• The PML also makes a commitment for mass literacy in the country within the next 10 years. Training of teachers, expansion of their expertise and increasing their salaries and status would be ensured.

• The PML would also like to set aside a special day in the national calendar as the “National Teachers Day” as a mark of respect to the honourable profession of teaching.

• The existing educational institutions will be improved and upgraded from primary to secondary, from secondary to higher secondary and from schools to colleges. This would specially be provided in the case of education for girls and women as well as institutions in rural and backward areas. Vocational and technical education would be encouraged so that education is linked to enhancement of skills.

• The sector of Madrassah education is highly neglected and the PML would seek to provide all facilities and financial support for modernization of Madrassahs especially in curriculum. The Madrassah students will thus be able to benefit both from religious education as well as the education provided by other schools.

• The Pakistan Muslim League will also ensure that all scholarships offered to Pakistanis, either at home or from overseas, will be duly publicized through advertisements and through the internet so that these can be availed well in time by deserving students and these are not allowed to lapse.

• The Higher Education Commission would be made autonomous and encouraged to improve quality of universities. Retirement age of teachers will be increased to 65.

• The PML will also take up the case with respective foreign governments regarding the denial of student visas to Pakistani students in sciences like physics and engineering since this is an infringement on the right to education and knowledge and based on political and ethnic profiling.

• The PML will encourage setting up of public libraries equipped with the modern research and reference tools, including internet facilities.

• Sports, Arts, Music and languages as well as English and Maths shall be taught in all schools. PML’s plan is to tailor our educational system to individual pupil needs, involving parents and teachers support in raising academic standards and moral values.

• The PML will also try to ensure that drug companies in Pakistan are able to provide access to affordable essential life saving drugs for the common man. Producers of fake drugs will be given exemplary punishment.

• A special National Foundation would be established for provision of group life and medical insurance for artists, artisans, writers, poets, sportsmen and journalists. In this way, a large section of society which provides skills and services to society will be able to have access to quality medical care.

• On the issue of health, the PML aims to have a National Health Service backed by sustained investment in hospitals to provide better treatment to the patients. Doctors will be given special incentives to serve in rural areas.

• The PML also plans to upgrade and expand the existing health care structure of the country, specially focusing on the far flung and the less developed regions of the country. This would include expansion and up-gradation of the existing health care network with modern medical facilities and setting up of separate female/gynae units in each hospital and medical centre.

• For the environment, the PML is committed to a greener and cleaner Pakistan and all major projects that would be undertaken in the future would have an environmental feasibility study. A national campaign would also be launched to provide steps to protect the environment, particularly the protection of green areas, planting of trees and development of forests.

• Mass transit is pivotal to major urban centres and the PML will take initiatives to provide easily accessible mass transit and public transport to commuters living in urban areas. The existing water ways, particularly rivers, would also be utilized for providing water transportation between different regions of Pakistan. This would ease pressure on road transport and provide for travel alternatives.

• The PML will promote cycle culture to ensure cheap and easily available transportation for the common man. This will also improve the nation’s health and be pollution free. In all future construction of roads, special bicycle lanes will be provided.

• A clean drinking water task force would also be established to ensure that the overwhelming majority of Pakistan’s population has access to clean water.

• The PML will also set up a Food Safety Commission for the prevention of adulteration and preservation of better standards for food hygiene and safety throughout the country. Quality control of foodstuffs will be ensured through legislation and administrative monitoring.

• The PML believes that Corruption is a big impediment to development and good governance. However, regrettably in Pakistan, there has never been any across-the-board accountability. In fact, all anti-corruption campaigns have been politically motivated to hound and harass the opposition. An independent, non-partisan anti-corruption institution, free of government control, will be established with a view to attacking corruption without fear or favour so that accountability is not used as a weapon of revenge against political opponents.

• The PML believes in building dams and water reservoirs based on need, but through consultation and consensus.

• The Pakistan Muslim League strongly believes in promoting self reliance at all levels and considers this a major means to mobilize the creative skills of the Pakistani people. The PML will launch a Village Development Initiative for integrated development of rural communities, comprising some 70% of the population. Each village would have a 5-person committee to prepare development projects, in cooperation with the local government. The provincial and the federal government will provide all necessary assistance, including skills training and loans. This will generate villages’ productive capacity in such areas as cottage industry and handicrafts, vocational training, milk preservation and livestock development.

• The PML will promote the self-reliance principle for poor, hardworking, skilled people who do not have funds for setting up small, home-based businesses. Most of such people do not have access to the country’s banking facilities since there are only approximately 5 million bank account holders out of a population of 160 million. The Pakistan Muslim League will establish a state-supported Skills Promotion Trust to generate easily available small loans for persons desirous of transforming their skills for generating incomes on self help basis. Widows, the disabled and jobless youth will be especially able to benefit by harnessing their talents and hard work for gainful self-employment.

• The right to a decent shelter is a fundamental human right and the PML would like to ensure that housing is no longer a monopoly of only those with money. The Pakistan Muslim League would like to prepare a revolutionary programme for provision of low cost housing to those who cannot afford it. The PML will establish a Cheap Homes Initiative that will be based on a coordination of a troika comprising:

• State land provided free by the Government;

• Builders willing to build low cost housing; and

• Home owners paying in installments for construction of this low cost housing.

III. DEVOLUTION

“Pakistan guarantees that federated units of the National Government would have all the autonomy that you will find in the constitutions of the United States of America, Canada and Australia. But certain vital powers will remain vested in the Central Government such as the monetary system, national defence and other federal responsibilities. Each federated State or province would have its own legislative executive and judicial systems, each of the three branches of Government being constitutionally separate.”

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

November 8, 1945

III. DEVOLUTION

• The Pakistan Muslim League is the architect of devolution of powers in Pakistan and it strongly feels that decentralization is a key to good governance. The PML believes that strong provinces mean a strong Pakistan and it does not subscribe to the doctrine of a ‘strong centre’. The Pakistan Muslim League is committed to provincial autonomy within the federal framework, and it will continue the positive initiative taken in this regard by the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan.

• While there has been devolution of powers from the provinces to the districts, there is need for devolution of authority from the federation to the provinces.

• Within the Ministries/Departments, there should also be decentralization of authority, as well as downsizing of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. There is too much centralized control which retards good governance. The greater the decentralization, the greater will be the empowerment of the people at the grass roots level. Rules of Business will be accordingly revised to remove red-tape.

• The PML also feels that the Constitution should be implemented in letter and spirit. Those subjects belonging to the provinces should be handed back to them. There should be minimal interference from the centre in the functioning of the provinces.

• Provincial autonomy must include the right to regulate and control the natural resources existing within each province.

• The Senate, which embodies the rights of the federation, should be strengthened; as each province, irrespective of population and size, is equal under the Constitution.

• The Pakistan Muslim League will ensure that provinces which take special initiatives to enhance the welfare of the people, particularly poverty alleviation, will be provided with special assistance by the Federal Government.

IV. DIVERSITY

“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed; that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

August 11, 1947

IV. DIVERSITY

• Pakistan is an example of unity in diversity and its four provinces include people of different ethnic groups, languages and cultures. Different sections of Pakistani society must have equal rights and equal opportunity. Pluralism strengthens the democratic functioning of the Federation.

• The PML will ensure access to speedy justice and it will prepare an Action Plan to ensure the phasing out and abolition of longstanding litigation, especially cases involving property and family disputes, seeking their resolution within a specified timeframe.

• Empowerment of women will be pursued with vigour since no country can progress unless and until it gives over 50% of its population equal rights in the country’s political, social, economic and cultural life.

• The Pakistan Movement would not have been a success had there not been contributions by women, especially the sister of the Quaid-i-Azam, Madar-i-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah. The PML will promote the Madar-i-Millat as a role model for Pakistani women, so that they can be inspired to contribute to society equally with men.

• Women’s rights would be protected, restored, strengthened and promoted on every level. The PML strongly believes that no meaningful national development can be achieved without the full participation of women in nation building. Empowerment of women has a multiplier effect on the family and the whole nation.

• Fundamental human rights and dignity of women would be guaranteed and justice provided, including legal prosecution against acts of physical and domestic violence and honour killings.

• The Pakistan Muslim League will also ensure the end of such unjust and unacceptable practices like Wanni, Karokari, honour killings, marriage with Quran, etc. and ensure that women are not deprived of their due property rights by their more powerful male relatives.

• Pakistan is a young nation since 100 million of its population is less than 25 years of age. As such, two-third of the country’s population, which is the majority of this country, would be provided with special initiatives and policies. The Ministry of Youth Affairs will work directly under the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

• Opportunities for employment of youth will be provided both at home and abroad and the PML will enhance teaching of communication skills including computer and Information Technology.

• During the summer holidays, special inter-provincial youth campaigns will be launched for providing opportunities for the youth of different provinces to work together to enhance inter-provincial harmony.

• The PML supports the initiative of a Youth Parliament and feels that this provides invaluable training in democracy for youth and students and it will encourage the establishment of a Youth Parliament at the centre and the provinces.

• For the overseas Pakistanis youth with families in Pakistan, the PML will support initiatives for these youth to travel back to Pakistan during their summer holidays for orientation campaigns so that they can be sensitized to their culture and to their country periodically.

• Senior citizens are a tremendous source of wisdom, knowledge and experience for any society, and the PML will take major initiatives for senior citizens so that the society can still benefit from their experience. The PML will organize special facilities for needy senior citizens so that it can facilitate their cheap travel and medical needs.

• The PML will ensure the special needs and rights of the disabled are upheld, particularly their right to a normal life as equal citizens. The quota of the disabled in government employment will be enhanced. Wheelchair access and special toilets for the disabled will be made compulsory in construction of all future buildings. They will also be given equal opportunity for studying at all the educational institutions including those for higher education, both at home and abroad. A new Ministry will be created to cater to their needs and rights.

• The PML believes in equal rights of all Pakistanis, including those who are serving prison terms. The PML will try to ensure that those prisoners who cannot afford to pay their fines to gain their freedom will be provided this amount by the State. And those prisoners who cannot afford a lawyer will be provided with Public Legal Defenders at State expense.

• The PML will ensure that the rights of the children and bonded labour are protected. Legislation will be swiftly undertaken against child abuse and exploitation, as well as for their protection from prison sentences.

• Orphans and children with special needs will be provided with incentives and training for special skills. The existing orphanages will be provided with funding to upgrade their facilities.

• The rights of labour and peasants shall be protected and the PML will develop a skilled labour force to meet the challenges of a vast growing economy. The minimum wages of labour will be periodically fixed to counter inflation to provide a reasonable standard of living for the wage earners.

• The PML believes that flourishing of arts and culture is vital to development of any society and it will take strong steps to promote diverse cultures and languages of Pakistan including steps for protection of cultural heritage. The PML also feels that “soft power” like culture, media, sports and academia, can be very important for improving the image of Pakistan.

• The PML will seek the establishment of an office of Cultural Ambassador who would play a key role in promoting Pakistani culture abroad, given the rich diversity of Pakistan’s cultural heritage. In this regard, Sufi teachings, thoughts and traditions would be encouraged since they promote tolerance and harmony.

• In the current context the PML strongly feels that it is important to examine the reasons and causes for rise of extremism in society. After examining the causes, the PML will prepare a strategy based on education and persuasion, not use of force, to combat all kinds of extremism in society. This national strategy will be prepared by a special Task Force to combat extremism and this Task Force will be asked to present its recommendations and report within 100 days of its formation.

• The PML strongly believes in the rights of consumers and the need to eliminate adulteration either in food stuff or in medicines. At the same time, price hike and hoarding is breaking the backbone of the common man and steps will be taken to attack these twin anti-people practices.

• The PML will ensure legislation to protect the rights of consumers. In this regard, Consumer Protection Societies will be encouraged.

• The PML considers overseas Pakistanis as a tremendous source of strength for Pakistan and they work as unofficial ambassadors of goodwill for Pakistan wherever they live and work. The overseas Pakistanis deserve to be given their due rights and role in their mother country.

• The PML will endeavour to provide the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis and the Party will propose a Constitutional amendment to provide for representation for overseas Pakistanis in the Pakistan Parliament.

• The PML considers religious minorities of the country as equal citizens of the Pakistani state and they have the same rights as Muslims. The minorities will have full freedom of worship and the right to employment in all sectors of the Pakistani state. Their religious holidays will be commemorated nationally with the help of the State. The PML also appreciates the constructive role played by the minority missionary institutions in imparting quality education to Pakistanis in different parts of the country.

• The Pakistan Muslim League also believes that in building a better Pakistan, it is imperative that moral values and character building are promoted. These include honesty, integrity, simplicity, hard work, truthfulness, merit, fair-play and the courage of convictions.

• The PML also rejects evils of society such as the Sifarishi culture (culture of patronage) and Khushamdi culture (culture of sycophancy), which should be strongly discouraged. The PML feels that the crisis of morality in our society can be combated by reverting to the universal principles enshrined in Islam as well as the practices and professions of such role models as the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and Pakistan’s founding fathers, Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal.

V. DEFENCE

“The Armed Forces of Pakistan are the custodians of the life, property and honour of the people of Pakistan. The Defence Forces are the most vital of all Pakistan’s Services and, correspondingly, a very heavy responsibility and burden lies on your shoulders.”

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Quetta, June 14, 1948

V. DEFENCE

• The Pakistan Muslim League believes that a strong defence is imperative to guard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The PML shares the entire nation’s pride in the professionalism of its Armed Forces. The PML supports modern and well equipped Armed Forces, as a professional fighting machine functioning within the framework of the Constitution. Such a defence force is vital for national security.

• National security can no longer be defined purely in terms of military might alone. In today’s world, national security should be redefined also by civilian components like the Constitution, respect for the rule of law and human rights, political parties with a national vision, provincial autonomy, a strong economy and education, an independent media and judiciary, a robust civil society as well as a sovereign parliament.

• The PML supports the development of an indigenous defence capability and defence production since that is important in lessening dependence on outside assistance.

• The country’s defence and foreign policy function closely with each other and this foreign policy should protect the interests of the state as well as reflect the aspirations of the people.

• Pakistan’s nuclear programme is a vital component of Pakistan’s national security and serves both as a deterrence against aggression and to preserve and protect our national independence. Since Pakistan has no aggressive intentions against any state, Pakistan will not accept double standards on the nuclear issue nor allow intrusion into its nuclear programme or provide access to any of its nuclear installations and scientists to outsiders.

• The PML feels that no foreign country has the right to dictate or interfere in Pakistan’s internal affairs and we will seek to build friendly relations with all countries on the basis of equality and reciprocity. Pakistan shall not allow its territory to be used against any neigbouring country and the PML feels that the country’s foreign policy should be geared towards strengthening Pakistan’s security and stability, with the first priority being peace in the region where Pakistan is located.

• The PML is against terrorism, extremism and violence in all its forms and manifestations. The PML feels that terrorism has no religion since terrorism is a common enemy of all humanity.

• The PML would like to strengthen relations with our traditional friends like China, promote peace in the region, especially South Asia and Central Asia, deepen relations with the Muslim Ummah and build stable and friendly relations with the West and the international community.

• The PML strongly feels that international politics should be governed by the rule of law and the United Nations Charter and it rejects any notion of “might is right” since that would mean reverting to the law of the jungle.

• The PML supports the right of self determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir through implementing UN resolutions. However, in order to break the deadlock on this issue existing for the last 60 years, the PML would support all those initiatives to peacefully resolve the Kashmir question which enjoy the support and backing of the Kashmiri people. The PML recognizes the APHC as representing the voice of the oppressed Kashmiri people. The PML will support any settlement of Kashmir that is just and honourable, which is acceptable to the Kashmiri people.

• The peace process with India will be pursued with vigour, since it is conducive to a stable and peaceful South Asia.

• For the Pakistan Muslim League, Kashmir is a problem of humanity and welfare of Kashmiris comes first, before the territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

• The PML supports the establishment of an independent democratic state in Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. The PML strongly feels that the people of the West Bank and the Gaza have the right to elect any government of their own choice.

• The PML feels that the war against Iraq was wrong and illegal and it feels that the way out is a peaceful solution through termination of foreign occupation. There should be efforts to replace the occupation with a joint United Nations - OIC peacekeeping force.

• The PML also feels that there should be a peaceful solution to the war in Afghanistan and efforts should be made by the foreign forces in Afghanistan to initiate a dialogue with the resistance. Only through national reconciliation can Afghanistan be stable and peace return to that war-torn country.

• The Pakistan Muslim League also supports Iran’s right to a peaceful nuclear programme under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards and it rejects any threat of force or use of force to resolve this issue. The PML also welcomes the latest report from the US in this regard which clearly proves that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapons programme.

• The PML supports Pakistan’s initiative endorsed by the Islamic Summit in Malaysia in 2003 for reform of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). In this regard, the PML welcomes the report and recommendations of the Commission of Eminent Persons and hopes that these recommendations will be implemented in letter and spirit to make the OIC effective.

• The PML also supports strengthening of the Defence and Foreign Affairs Committees of the National Assembly and the Senate and feels that these committees must have the right to have access to all information pertaining to their respective ministries. The PML also welcomes the initiatives of opening up these Committee meetings to the press and the public so that the bureaucratic culture of secrecy is replaced by transparency.

• The PML feels that the Foreign Office should be more people-friendly and its professionalism restored. Pakistani missions abroad should redefine their role, by serving non-VIP Pakistani citizens with a speedy commitment and serving overseas Pakistanis should be part of their priority mandate.

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

The people of Pakistan owe a debt of gratitude to the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League for giving us freedom and independence. The creation of Pakistan through a democratic political process and a mass political struggle was nothing short of a miracle in the annals of modern history given the almost insurmountable odds. As the eminent American historian, Professor Stanley Wolpert rightly wrote in his tribute to the Father of the Nation:

“Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”

Despite the crises of the last 60 years, the people of Pakistan have demonstrated tremendous resilience and the ability to bounce back. They have demonstrated a ‘can do’ confidence, invariably overcoming difficulties. The Pakistan Muslim League resolves to restore the people’s faith in national institutions and combat the evils of sectarianism and parochialism, which alongwith the scourge of extremism and terrorism, are today the biggest security threats to Pakistan.

Today, Pakistan is moving forward, fuelled by a booming economy and an emerging and articulate middle class, a vibrant civil society, an independent judiciary and a free media. The PML will strengthen these positives of an open and democratic society to build a better tomorrow. The PML will seek to promote optimism and faith in the future, rejecting the negative thinking of the prophets of pessimism. Such ingratitude (na’shukri) should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.

Let it not be said that Pakistan was let down by leaders who were not equal to the task. As the Party that successfully led the struggle for freedom 60 years ago, the Pakistan Muslim League will, Insha-Allah, succeed in building a better and stronger Pakistan with the support of the people.